Aircraft passenger cabins are currently constructed or are being retrofit with a wide assortment of personal electronic and entertainment options accessible from the passenger seat. Passengers are encouraged to remain seated as much as possible during a flight for safety, crew mobility and to enable cabin service. To improve service and make the flight more enjoyable or productive, airlines may provide audio and video entertainment, telephone, intercom, television, video games, internet, email and electrical power supply for laptop computers, especially in business class and first class cabins thus permitting passengers to work during the flight, to communicate or to be entertained without leaving their seat or disturbing other passengers.
Passenger entertainment systems such as seat mounted flat screen video monitors, and credit card activated cellular telephones are now commonly mounted in the seat backs and seat arm rests of passenger aircraft. Some airlines also distribute compact personal DVD players with a choice of movies, or personal audio CD players in first class and business class cabins. Passengers may carry their own laptop computers or CD players and seek power outlets to preserve batteries and extend use during long flights.
Within the confines of a passenger seat fitted with a conventional food service tray table, use of such entertainment and personal electronic equipment creates conflicts with the food and beverage service in an aircraft cabin. The available space is often inadequate, the electrical equipment is exposed to spillage of beverages, and equipment may be damaged after sliding off the tray table on to the cabin floor.
Given existing aircraft cabins and seating arrangements, conventionally it has been considered necessary to fit all such equipment within the passenger seat itself. Armrests and seat backs are built with compartments for such purposes adding to the cost of the seats and requiring regulatory approval since the weight, centre of gravity and performance during a crash could be effected by adding the weight of equipment or modifying the seat frame structure. Airlines desiring to upgrade service by providing electric power, entertainment and personal electronic device capacity are faced with the problem of replacing expensive passenger seats before their service life has ended and submitting new designs for regulatory approval, both of which consume significant time and money.
Conventionally, passenger seat units are often fitted with power sources, entertainment and personal electronic system units that are mounted in armrests, in consoles, in the seat back or under the seat as an interim measure.
It is an object of the present invention to separate the provision of passenger entertainment and personal electronic devices entirely from the passenger seats.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact foldable support that includes housing for electrical components and cables thereby relieving the passenger seats of the need to be redesigned or retrofit to accommodate entertainment or personal electronic functions.
Further objects of the invention will be apparent from review of the disclosure, drawings and description of the invention below.